Tolerance of formulas containing prebiotics in healthy, term infants.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare infants' gastrointestinal tolerance of formulas supplemented with 2 different levels of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) versus a control formula (CF) or human milk.

Methods: Healthy, full-term infants (n = 180) were enrolled in this 3-group controlled, double-blind, multicenter study, and a concurrently enrolled, nonrandomized human milk-fed group (HM) by 8 days of age. Infants were randomized to be fed formula supplemented with either 4 g (EF4) or 8 g (EF8) GOS/L or a CF until day of life (DOL) 119.

Plasma carotenoid concentrations of infants are increased by feeding a milk-based infant formula supplemented with carotenoids.

Background: Human milk is the gold standard of infant nutrition and is a source of important substances, including carotenoids. Infant formulas are designed to mimic the composition and/or performance of human milk, although currently carotenoids are not routinely added to US infant formulas. The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations of β-carotene, lutein and lycopene 56 days after feeding infants milk-based infant formula without (CTRL) or with different concentrations of added carotenoids (L1 and L2).

Quantitative analysis of intestinal bacterial populations from term infants fed formula supplemented with fructo-oligosaccharides.

Objectives: Previous studies of infant formulas supplemented with oligosaccharides reported mixed results regarding the impact on intestinal microbial populations. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of supplementation of an infant formula with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on select groups of intestinal bacteria in term infants.

Methods: Four groups of infants were enrolled and fed human milk, a commercially available milk-based infant formula, or infant formula supplemented with 2.